It is a common myth that you can eat whatever you want when you’re pregnant — bowls of ice cream, bags of chips — because you’re eating for two. But that is not the case. Calgary Foothills PCN health professionals have put together some practical examples of what you can eat during pregnancy to ensure you and your baby stay as healthy as possible.
First trimester: During the first trimester of your pregnancy — from about 13 weeks on — when your baby is the size of a pea or smaller, you don’t need to eat any extra calories. You might crave extra food, but your body and your baby don’t actually need it.
Second trimester: In the second trimester, you need to eat only about 340 extra calories each day. You can add a daily healthy snack to your diet to accommodate the extra calories. That said, 340 calories a day isn’t a lot of extra food.
Third trimester: In the third trimester, from about 28 weeks on, the typical pregnant woman will need to consume an extra 454 calories each day. Again 454 calories doesn’t add up to a lot of extra food as you can see from the examples. Try:
- Half a small pita with 50 grams of cheese, lettuce and 1 medium tomato — about 450 calories (a good source of fibre and calcium)
- 1 pear, 2 tablespoons of almonds and ¾ cup of yogurt — about 450 calories. This offers protein, fibre and calcium.
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